Urine test question

Jul 3, 2001

Dr. Kull-
I drank large amounts of water the day before and the day of submitting a urine sample for HIV and drug screening. Would this signifcantly lower the amount of detectable HIV antibodies in my urine? If so, would it possibly yield a false negative result?

Thanks

Response from Mr. Kull

It is important that you address any questions you have directly to the provider, clinic, or lab that is performing the testing procedure. Doing that may alleviate any doubts or concerns you have about the specific procedure before it is used.

Calypte Biomedical Corporation is the only manufacturer of EIA and Western Blot urine testing for the detection of HIV-1 antibodies licensed by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Urine testing for HIV antibodies is highly accurate, but not as accurate as serum (blood) tests for HIV antibodies. Calypte reports a 1.3% false negative rate for a combined population of HIV infected people (high risk, low risk, and AIDS symptomatic). There is nothing reported in their literature that suggests drinking large amounts of water will adversely affect the accuracy of the urine-based test result.

For more information about the Calypte urine tests, visit their website at www.calypte.com.

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